1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sign support system for use at, for example, athletic games, track and field events, road races, and marathons. The sign support system provides a stable, easily assembled and disassembled multi-unit sign installation that may be expanded horizontally and vertically.
2. Prior Art
Numerous sign stands, poster display devices, structures for exhibitions, for use, for example, at trade shows, conventions, athletic events, indoor races, marathons, etc, are known for holding and displaying signs for providing advertisement and other information to the public. Generally, they comprise a plurality of upright support members between which a number of panels are mounted for easy assembly or disassembly by means of screws or equivalent fastening means. As there are many such events and shows in different places, it is highly advantageous that these structures be easily and inexpensively be broken down, shipped from one place to another and reassembled into a structure suitable for the venue. Generally, when these structures are shipped in unassembled form, the bulk or volume occupied by the various component parts is considerably larger than desired, difficult to pack and often incur unnecessarily high shipping charges. Additionally, the required layout of signage in one venue may be completely different than the previous one, requiring a higher, shorter, and/or longer signage layout.
Still further, sign and stand apparatuses designed for outdoor use must be sturdy to withstand the wind and elements. Typically the known stands are positioned on supports or posts that are anchored in the ground, held in place by sandbags or other heavy objects, or spring-mounted on bases which allow them bend or deflect without tipping over under high wind forces. Although such sign stand units are well known, it is still desirable to provide a light, portable and wind-resistant sign and stand apparatus which employs a minimum number of parts or components, has a unique and attractive appearance, is inexpensive to manufacture, and may be used in many different applications, including point-of-purchase displays, pedestrian or vehicular traffic messages or barriers, commercial advertisements for athletic games, track and field events, road races, and marathons, and the like, etc.
Several prior art references that relate to sign holders are:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,378 to Stocker describes an apparatus for attaching a sign element to a base with a frameless magnetically attractive support system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,928 to Soporowski describes a sign holder used to display prices and to advertise special sales. This sign holder assembly may be mounted to elevated wires, easel supports, or shelf brackets and reduces the number of sign parts the store owner is required to keep on hand. The holder is rectangularly-shaped and has slots adapted to be slidably mounted on various supports.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,926 to Friedman describes a knock-down exhibition panel assembly for use at exhibits. The system comprises a panel system of flanged members with thumb screws and latching mechanisms to join a plurality of members. The system includes a plurality of upright rigid supporting members with generally planar members releasably connected on opposite sides to two adjacent supporting members. Each panel has an intermediate portion and along the two opposed edges are respective flange portions extending in opposite directions from the intermediate portion. This panel configuration enables the panels to be stacked in nesting fashion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,448 to Cobb describes a post sign having a message panel supported by one or more posts. Each post has an elongated channel connected to an outer side of the post by an elongated slot. The message panel is mounted on the post or posts by an interconnecting support member which fits in the channel, leaving exposed an upper terminal portion of the channel and slot. The open upper end of the support member is covered by a spacer cap, and the open upper end of the post is covered by a post cap having a tab which fits into the open terminal portion of the channel and slot in the post.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,344 to Seely describes a lightweight, portable, wind resistant sign and stand apparatus. The apparatus includes a plurality of ground-engaging legs secured to a longitudinally-extending elongated base assembly. The base assembly includes clamping members for clampingly anchoring a thin, flat sign panel protruding generally upwardly therefrom. The sheet material of which the sign panel is composed is sufficiently rigid that the sign panel is self-supporting in its protruding relationship with the base assembly. The sign panel is sufficiently flexible and resilient to bendably deflect in high winds, without yielding.
Other prior art references of interest are:
U.S. Pat. No. 67,347 to Reef, Jr. describes a scaffold and trestle support that can extend in length and height through the use of slidably interconnected horizontal and vertical members.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,860 to Fry describes a sawhorse comprised of rectangular metal tubes and xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x9d beams that are attached to and contained within a main beam. Side mounted tubes swing out and extend tubular members contained within them. xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x9d beams extend from the main beam and extend channel beams transverse to the longitudinal axis. Through a series of holes and pins the beam extensions and the supporting legs are adjustable over a wide range.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,425 to Hou describes a folding stand for an office chair stand that has an annular frame to hold the upright shaft of an office chair. A plurality of radial lugs are horizontally spaced around the annular frame and have a plurality of legs hinged to the radial lugs that are supported on a wheel assembly. The wheel assembly can be turned between a working position in line with the respective lug and a collapsed position perpendicular to the respective lug. A retainer spring is retained in each leg to lock the leg in the working position or the collapsed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,962 to Carter describes a collapsible support that includes a cross member and a pair of collapsible support brackets having pairs of generally tubular legs extending therefrom. Each support bracket includes a generally planar base member secured to the cross member and a pivotally attached leg carrier. The leg pairs are secured to the leg carrier and are pivotable therewith from extended load bearing positions to collapsed storage or transport positions. A spring lock mechanism is provided which engages a portion of the leg carrier in the extended load bearing position and secures it in a releasable attachment in the load bearing position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,003 to Carty describes a collapsible sawhorse having rotatable leg sections for holding the legs and hinges to enable each pair of legs to collapse against the underside of the horizontal rail. The leg sections are outwardly angled to provide increased sawhorse stability. Tabs at the top of the leg sections insert into tab slots on the bottom of a hinged top plate for providing a stable sawhorse.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,365 to Derecktor describes a portable work bench that includes a track having a structural body, and four collapsible legs for supporting the track in an elevated position above a surface. The work bench further includes a dual purpose accessory releasably attachable to the track. The dual purpose accessory has a body, a rail member for slidably mounting the body on the track so that the body is movable along the length of the track, a locking member for locking the body at a desired position along the length of the track. An extension is also described for extending the overall length of the work bench.
A primary object of the sign support system of this invention is to secure signs to an associated stable base fixture which is easily assembled, and disassembled and when disassembled is relatively portable. The system may be used at sporting events, track meets, marathons, etc. and after use, disassembled and transported and used at another event.
A further object of this invention is to provide a sign support system that is easy to disassemble at one venue, pack, ship, unpack and reassemble in a another venue.
It is yet a another object of this invention to provide a sign support system that may be assembled to provide an almost unlimited length of signage by horizontally connecting a plurality of sign support units or modules.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a sign support system that may be assembled to provide flexibility in the height of signage by vertically connecting a plurality of units or modules.
All of the objects of this invention are achieved by the sign support system of this invention. Broadly, the system includes a plurality of substantially vertically disposed end support structures, the support structures being substantially parallel to each other. Each support structure comprises two substantially vertically disposed support legs, each leg having an upper and a lower end. The upper ends of the support legs are connected to each other by an upper connecting member that can be extended or collapsed. The lower ends of the support legs are also connected to each other by a lower connecting member that can be extended or collapsed. When the upper and lower connecting members are both extended the support structure forms a frame support structure, preferably an A-Frame type structure. When the upper and lower connecting members are both collapsed, the support legs are in close proximity and parallel to each other, suitable for storage and/or transport.
A first pair of upper channel members having opposing ends are provided. Each member has a channel therein. The opposing ends of the channel members each connect to and are removably mounted to the upper ends of the support legs to connect the first and second end support structures to each other when the upper and lower connecting members of the support legs are extended.
A second pair of lower channel members having opposing ends are provided. Each member has a channel therein. The opposing ends of the channel members each connect to and are removably mounted to the lower ends of the support legs to connect the first and second end support structures to each other when the upper and lower connecting members of the support legs are extended.
Each of the channels in the upper channel members are provided with a downwardly opening channel and each of the channels in the lower channel members are provided with an upwardly opening channel. At least one lower sign panel is provided of a size, shape and thickness suitable for removably mounting between the opposing lower and upper channel members in the opposing downwardly and upwardly opening channels, e.g. it is slid between the channel members.
Optionally, the sign support system comprises first and second substantially vertically disposed and parallel end support members. Each end support member has a lower end and an upper end, the lower end of the first support member being removably mounted to the upper end of the vertically disposed support leg of the first end support structure and the lower end of second support member being removably mounted to the upper end of the vertically disposed support leg of the second end support structure. A top channel member is provided having opposing ends and a downwardly opening channel, the opposing ends of the top channel member connecting and removably mounted to the upper ends of the first and second end support members to connect the first and second end support members to each other. An upper sign panel of a size, shape and thickness suitable for removably mounting between the top channel and the opposing upper channel member in the downwardly opening channel is provided.